


Children are a gift from God (or, in this case, Wanda)

by Ellana17



Series: The Kids are Alright [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Established Relationship, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Idiots in Love, Kid Fic, M/M, Post-Canon, Team as Family, Tony Stark Feels, Wanda thinks she's a goddam stork or something
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 09:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13784394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellana17/pseuds/Ellana17
Summary: “Barton, what did you do?” Natasha asked in horror.“I was just joking around! I swear I didn’t think she’d take me seriously!” he went on. “If you want to blame someone, blame Thor! He’s the one who said having a child brings people closer together!”





	Children are a gift from God (or, in this case, Wanda)

**Author's Note:**

> I guess the expiry date on this story is May 4 but I know I’ll probably never post it if I wait any longer. Here goes nothing.

“Tony!” Steve yelled when he saw Iron Man lying on the ground.

Steve scrambled to his feet and rushed to the man who had just saved his life. He gently placed Tony’s head over his lap.

Tony opened up the suit faceplate. “Hey,” he coughed around a mouthful of blood.

“Tony,” Steve said again, adjusting the man’s head gently. “What did you do? God, of all the reckless things,” Steve choked up.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’ve got a suit of armor, remember? You’d probably be goo by now, Rogers,” Tony managed to say.

Tony took a deep breath and immediately winced in pain. More blood poured out of his mouth.

“You don’t know that,” Steve said quietly.

Tony smiled weakly. “Couldn’t take that chance. Let’s face it, the world needs you alive more than it needs me.”

“God, this is so far from the truth, Tony,” Steve countered.

“Well, maybe _I_ need you alive,” Tony admitted.

“It’s okay,” Steve reassured him, looking around frantically. “You’re going to be okay.”

Tony barely registered Wanda and Peter rushing to his sides. The boy’s cheeks were wet with tears and Tony immediately looked away.

“He probably has internal injuries, Steve,” Wanda informed him calmly.

“He’s going to be okay,” Steve said again. “You hear me, Stark! Don’t you dare die for me.”

“It’s okay, I’ve been ready to die for a long time,” Tony mumbled.

The light was too bright. If he could just close his eyes for a moment…

“Stark! Stay awake!” Steve yelled at him.

“God, I love you,” Tony managed to say as clearly as he could. “Sorry… should have said it earlier, I guess. You know how it is.”

“Tony, don’t speak, okay. Just… focus on breathing for now.”

“You take care of Peter for me, alright? He’ll need someone to watch over him.”

“Tony…”

“Promise me, Rogers.”

“Okay, I promise.”

“Good.”

Then, Tony closed his eyes.

“Tony? Hang on, you hear me. Tony!”

 

 

When Tony opened his eyes again, he was greeted by the sight of Shuri’s bright smile. He looked around quickly and recognized the compound’s infirmary.

“I’ve a feeling we’re not in Wakanda anymore,” Tony croaked, blinking against the harsh light of the room.

Shuri chuckled. “Funny.”

“What happened?” the man asked.

“You took a shot intended for Captain Rogers,” Shuri explained. “Wanda and Doctor Strange managed to keep you alive long enough for me to heal you, using those beauties,” she went on, holding a small device in her hand.

“What’s that?”

“Nanites. I’ve reprogrammed them to heal injuries. Frankly, I wasn’t sure it would work at first. But after a few days, it became clear that the nanites were doing their job.”

“Nanites? Okay…”

Tony groaned, covering his face with both hands.

“What’s going on?” Shuri asked at once. “You should be fully healed by now.”

“I want to die…” Tony moaned.

“Okay?”

Tony propped himself on one elbow and glared at Shuri. “Did you know that there is nothing more awkward than a deathbed confession?” he said.

“What? Why?” Shuri asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Because of what happens when you don’t die!” Tony exclaimed. He let his head drop on the bed with a thud. “Now I’ll have to deal with it.”

Shuri smiled indulgently. “Come on,” she said, tugging on Tony’s sleeve. “The others have been really worried about you. Plus, there’s someone you definitely need to see.”

Tony had no time to ask how he even ended up wearing one of his comfy outfits as Shuri dragged him through the compound to the living room.

Most of the team members were already there, sitting down, chatting mindlessly. There was nothing out of the ordinary, except the way everybody’s face lighted up at seeing Tony enter the room.

Then, Tony noticed the baby in Steve’s arms.

“What the hell is going on here?” Tony exclaimed.

Natasha made her way to him and simply handed him a sheet of paper that suspiciously looked like a letter.

 

 

_A couple days earlier_

They had not been sure Stark would make a full recovery until that morning. When Shuri had banned Steve from visiting the infirmary again, stating that his constant fretting was distracting her from her work, Sam had taken it upon himself to distract his friend as best he could. Steve and Sam ran into Natasha and Clint a few moments before the four of them entered the living room. Sam stopped dead in his tracks.

“What the hell?” he exclaimed, staring at the baby seat casually resting on the table. “What the hell,” the man said again, taking a few careful steps forward.

Natasha was already ahead of him, assessing the situation. She closely watched the baby seat and the tiny child peacefully sleeping in it. The seat seemed to be surrounded by a shimmering red energy, not unlike Wanda’s powers.

When the baby opened its eyes, Natasha took a few steps backward in surprise.

“Is it me or does it look like the kid has Steve’s eyes?” she reflected out loud.

“I didn’t do it!” Clint exclaimed at once.

“Barton, what did you do?” Natasha asked in horror.

“I was just joking around! I swear I didn’t think she’d take me seriously!” he went on. “If you want to blame someone, blame Thor! He’s the one who said having a child brings people closer together!”

Steve had yet to say a word.

“Oh god,” Clint muttered. “Oh god.”

“There’s a letter,” Natasha pointed out. She read it quickly before handed it to Steve.

 

Steve,

I came to realize that I can’t stay. I was waiting to be sure Stark would be alright before going away. As much as I’ll miss the team, I need time for myself to come to term with all that has happened. Please, don’t come looking for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.

I wanted to thank you for everything you did for me. I’d probably never be able to forget about the things I’ve seen inside your mind and I’m sorry for the pain that I caused making you relive your fears, but I want you to know that fear is not the only thing I saw that day. I also saw someone who was not ready to give up yet.

You’ve shown me a new path, a new way of living… without being constantly angry or afraid. You gave me a chance to prove myself and I’ll always be grateful.

Steve, you deserve a good life. I hope I can help you get there. Now I can do something good with the powers that were given to me.

Love,

Wanda

 

Stark,

I'm sorry I misjudged you. It doesn't mean I'm ready to forgive you just yet but I might one day.

Don't screw this up.

Wanda

 

 

_Present day_

“Someone needs to give Wanda the Birds and Bees talk,” Tony managed to say in a strangled voice. “Does this really mean what I think it means?” he asked, waving the letter around.

Natasha nodded slowly, gawking Tony’s reaction. “The kid has yours and Steve’s DNA,” she confirmed.

“How is that even possible?” Tony asked calmly.

“Man, that’s Wanda we’re talking about,” Sam cut in. “Do we even know the extent of her powers?”

“Congratulations, it’s a girl,” Barton exclaimed unhelpfully.

Tony nodded slowly. Then, he turned on his heels and left the room without a word. The others exchanged surprised glances.

Steve was about to follow Tony when Natasha shook her head.

“I’ll talk to him,” she said.

Natasha found Tony in an empty corridor.

“How are you holding up?” she asked, coming to a stop next to him.

“I’m good,” Tony tried. “I’ve been better,” he amended when Natasha gave him a look. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’ll do the talking then,” Natasha suggested gently. “Steve was in pretty bad shape after what happened.” Tony looked up sharply. “Not physically,” Natasha explained. “Emotionally. He wouldn’t rest until we knew you’d make it. Even then, he was pretty worried. Shuri had to ban him from going to see you, that’s how bad he got.” Tony’s witty retort died in his throat. “Steve was fussing over you, Sam was fussing over Steve. Everybody was talking about their feelings; you’d have hated it. Steve is completely gone on you,” Natasha informed him. “I’ve known for years, of course, but now everybody can see it. When we first started working together for S.H.I.E.L.D. in D.C., I didn’t know what to make of Steve. He seemed to be longing for something, and I couldn’t guess what. I started the teasing and matchmaking to get a rise out of him; I wanted to know whom he was pining after. Then, it all started making sense when the team got back together. That’s what Steve needs. He needs us. And he needs you.”

“Agent Romanoff, using her skills to play matchmaker,” Tony pointed out dryly.

Natasha shrugged. “I guess that’s not what the Russians had in mind when they trained me,” she acknowledged. “But it feels nice, you know, using your skills to actually help people. No killing. Something completely devolved of violence for once. You get what I mean.”

Tony glared at her. “Don’t pull that crap on me, Romanoff. We’re not going to bond over our guilty minds. Not right now anyway.”

“I know you, Tony,” Natasha smiled reassuringly. “I know the good, and I know the bad. I know everything there is to know and I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere,” she told him firmly. “Not this time. I won’t leave again. I know for a fact that the team won’t leave either. You’re stuck with us now. From now on, we’ll be facing what comes our way together. As a team.”

Tony snorted. “That was a really good speech. Steve would be proud.”

Natasha glared. “It’s like talking to a brick wall,” she pointed out. “Listen to me, I’m not joking around. You know how I hate talking about my feelings. I’m only going to say this once so you’d better listen. You’re my friend, Tony Stark and I care about you. You need to pull your shit together because there’s people here who needs you just as much as you need them.”

“Plus the rug rat,” Tony groaned, running a hand through his hair.

“True. Tony…” Natasha started, voice going unbelievably soft.

“Please, don’t. I don’t want to talk about Howard.”

“Okay,” Natasha nodded. “I get it and I wouldn’t normally push the issue but you’ll need to talk about it at some point. At least with Steve. You’re in this together now.”

Tony groaned again. “Shit. We’re going to kill each other. We can barely manage a team of adults as it is.”

Natasha lightly rested the palm of her hand against Tony’s cheek. The sweetness of the gesture took the man by surprise. “You’ll manage just fine.”

Then, Natasha extended her hand. Tony stared at her.

“Come on Stark,” she said without removing her hand.

Tony took it hesitantly and let Natasha lead him through the compound. The two of them made their way back to the team and, as expected, the baby was still in Steve’s arms. God, she was so tiny.

What were they all thinking? There was no way they could take care of a baby. Even disregarding their line of work, none of them was qualified. Well, except Barton, but it was still weird to Tony to think of Barton as a family man.

Before Tony could voice any of his thoughts out loud, Peter rushed inside the room.

“Tony!” the boy exclaimed before hugging him fiercely.

Tony patted the kid’s back awkwardly. “I’m okay, kid.”

Peter let the hug go for a while before finally taking a small step back. He then proceeded to hug Shuri.

“Sorry,” he said, letting go quickly. “Sorry, Your Highness.”

Shuri smirked and hit Peter’s shoulder with her fist. “I already told you to call me Shuri, Spider-Kid.”

“It’s Spider-Man,” Peter replied, rubbing his shoulder.

“Whatever you say, kid.”

“You're even younger than I am!” Peter exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

“Kids!” Tony cut in, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Shuri gave Peter a look. The boy huffed and made his way to Steve.

“Hi, you,” Peter said, taking the baby’s tiny hand gently.

“Hell no,” Tony mumbled. “Peter, we’re not keeping it.”

Peter turned to Tony, eyes pleading.

“Stop looking at me like that, Jesus. I’m not some heartless monster, okay,” Tony told the room at large. “I might even be the only sensible person in this room right now.”

Steve glanced his way and their eyes meet for a second. Tony realized they had not said a word to each other since Tony had woken up.

“Look, we’ll find her a good home, she’ll be very happy.”

Peter eyes grew wide. “You can’t do that!” he exclaimed. “She’s not an orphan, she got both her parents and a whole team of people to care for her. Do you know how lucky I was that my aunt took me in after my parents died?”

“Peter, I hate to be the bad guy here, but it’s for the best. She doesn’t have the serum, or anything, right?” Tony asked, finally addressing Steve directly.

Steve shook his head. “Bruce didn’t find any trace of the serum. He said Wanda wouldn’t have been able to reproduce it without the correct formula.”

“Perfect, so she’s not in danger of being tracked down by bad guys. There’s no safety reason she should stay here, all is good.”

“Well, Bruce did say she might display some sort of super strength even without the serum,” Barton cut in. “Wanda could have reproduced the effects of the serum if not the serum itself.”

Tony groaned in annoyance. “Where is Bruce anyway?”

“He had to run an errand,” Natasha informed him. “He went to get some baby stuffs with Sam. I have to say, Sam was really exited about becoming an uncle,” she added with a smirk.

“Oh, hell.”

“What is it you’re afraid of anyway, Stark?” Barton asked bluntly. “Look, you’re already taking care of Peter and it’s going pretty well, right?”

“Peter is older,” Tony dismissed with a wave of hand. “I didn’t have time to fuck up his education.”

“I’m already pretty fucked up anyway,” Peter piped up, turning his attention back to the baby.

“Language, Peter,” Tony chastised at once.

“Guys,” Steve said and everyone glanced at him. “Can I talk to Tony for a minute? Alone.”

“Sure thing, Cap,” Peter answered at once. He took the baby from Steve’s arms carefully and followed the rest of the team out.

“You’re alright?” Steve finally asked once they were alone.

Tony sat down on the couch, covering his eyes with his arm. “Shuri did a good job with those nanites,” he answered.

“Good. But that’s not really what I meant.”

Tony strengthened his back, suddenly feeling impossibly angry. “So what? Wanda suddenly decides to dump a kid on our lap and then bails? She can’t do something like that!”

“I guess she thought she was helping us out,” Steve suggested.

Tony snorted. “We do need help, don’t we?” he said. “Steve, look, we both know that this thing between us, whatever it is we’ve been doing… it won’t last. It’s going to blow up in our face at some point and I don’t want there to be any casualties when it does.”

“Why do you think it won’t last?” Steve asked suddenly. “I know we didn’t have time to talk things through…”

“That’s an understatement,” Tony snorted.

“And maybe we rushed into things because we thought the world was ending but it didn’t and we’re still here. You were the one to tell me you loved me!” Steve exclaimed.

“I thought I was dying,” Stark dismissed.

“So what? You didn’t mean it?”

Tony looked at Steve’s dejected face and felt his heart stop. “Of course I meant it, Rogers,” Tony whispered against his better judgment.

“Then stop distancing yourself.”

“I’m not-”

“Yes, you are. You are distancing yourself from the team, and from me. This needs to stop.”

Tony frowned. “This is not only about me, is it?” he realized. “You want to keep her, don’t you?” he accused. Steve was about to reply but Tony did not leave him time for that. “No see, this is our problem right there: you act rashly and do exactly what you want, as usual.”

“That's rich coming from you,” Steve replied at once.

“At least I acknowledge my mistakes,” Tony countered. “You act as if you're always right and everybody else is too dumb to see it.”

“No, that would be you.”

“Don’t start with me, Rogers.”

“What are we even arguing about this time?” Steve asked crossly.

Tony sighed and put his head on his hands. “Damn if I know. God, we need so much therapy,” he pointed out.

“You think Bruce would be up for it?”

“Don’t think so. He already told me he wasn’t that kind of doctor.”

“Natasha, then?” Steve suggested, half-jokingly.

“She is a good listener,” Tony acknowledged. He snorted. “Can you imagine it, though? It’ll be the perfect opportunity for her to judge us silently.”

“Hey, Barton is married,” Steve said as an afterthought.

“His advice would probably be to bang it out, so no.”

“He’s got three kids, he might be doing something right after all.”

“God, we’ve got a kid,” Tony said, the realization finally settling in. “How did I end up with two kids? I can barely take care of myself on a good day.”

“You take care of the team just fine.”

“They’re all adults, when they decide to act like it anyway. And I simply throw money at them, it’s not the same thing.”

“Come on, we both know that’s not true. You really care about them all, even if you like to pretend you don’t.”

“You’ve got me all figured out, don’t you.”

“Not even close,” Steve admitted. “But I’d like a chance to get to know you better.”

“Whatever you say, Rogers,” Tony said. He bumped their shoulders together gently before getting up.

“Just so you know, I will screw this up. I hope you’ll be there to pick up the pieces when I do.”

Steve nodded solemnly.

 

 

The next few days left Tony wondering how that had even become his life. Peter seemed happy at least, probably because he was not the youngest in their little group anymore. He also seemed to take his part as big brother extremely seriously. Even Natasha had been slowly warming up to the baby.

“I guess Wanda didn’t bother with ID documents,” Tony said as they were all gathered in the living room. “Pepper probably knows someone from legal that could help out. I should call her soon.”

“You guys should probably decide on a name before getting her any ID papers,” Barton pointed out.

“She does need a name,” Thor agreed.

Tony glanced at the baby in Sam’s arms before turning to Steve. Understanding seemed to pass between them.

“What do you think?” Steve asked.

“It could work. Maybe as a middle name, though.”

“Good.”

“Guys!” Sam exclaimed, shaking his head in amusement. “Mind sharing with the rest of the class?”

“Natasha, as a middle name,” Steve stated. Natasha’s breath caught. “She still needs a first name.”

“Thor?” Tony called, turning to their friend. “Any suggestions?”

“Well, there are many warrior names that-”

Steve frowned. “I’m not sure about the warrior bit,” he said.

Thor nodded seriously. Sam’s phone suddenly started to ring and the baby stirred in his arms.

“Sorry, I need to take this,” he said. “Here, take her,” he told Tony without leaving the man much of a choice.

“I don’t really like to be handed things.”

“She’s a baby, not a thing,” Sam countered, placing the baby in Tony’s arms before leaving the room.

“So, Thor, any ideas?” Steve asked as he watched Tony hold the baby awkwardly.

“Eivor,” Thor suggested at last.

“What does it mean?”

“Gift,” Thor said simply.

Steve and Tony glanced at each other.

“It’s kind of perfect,” Tony pointed out.

Steve nodded.

 

 

Things kept being awkward between Steve and Tony without any of them knowing what to do about it. After all, they had been doing the whole relationship thing backward. Tony supposed they should have been more talk and less making out in the early days of their relationship. However, their life did not leave much room for candle light dinners.

“Go on a date with me?” Steve asked him one day.

“A date?” Tony said, surprised. “We’ve never been on a date before.”

“Didn’t really have time for that, with the end of the world coming up and everything. Come on, Peter’ll be happy to babysit.”

“You know our kid will probably end up in a suit at some point, right?” Tony pointed out. “That’s what you get from trying to raise a child in this environment. She’s already hearing stories about Captain America and the Howling Commandos, for God’s sake and she’s only a few weeks old.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Steve said with a smile.

He was actually looking forward to it.

 

**THE END**


End file.
